In this letter addressed to EU leaders, Ola Källenius, President of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) and CEO of Mercedes-Benz, outlines three critical priorities to secure Europe’s industrial future.
1) Strengthening resilience and managing critical dependencies by creating more value in Europe and preventing de-industrialisation, while still building pragmatic partnerships that reinforce capabilities and accelerate the development of key technologies:
Free trade agreements, such as those with India and Mercosur, should be swiftly approved by the European Parliament and EU Member States, and implemented without delay.
Policies to boost production and investments in Europe should be incentive-based and sit within a broader re-industrialisation push: faster and simpler permitting, lower industrial energy costs, higher labour productivity, predictable support for upfront investment and ongoing operating costs, particularly to scale EV battery manufacturing.
2) Pursuing a pragmatic, “three-lane” decarbonisation pathway for cars, vans and buses & trucks, with ambitious targets, that remain flexible and technology neutral to resist shocks and external constraints: (....)